Clowning Around Valentine Playing Cards

Happy Love Day Eve everyone! ;0) Here are the Valentine Cards that I have sent out this year. I apologize for the photos. I'm on the road, away from everything I have and know for photos, so I made due. I also don't have photos of all the cards that I made...a whooping 24, and each one different...as I had to mail several out so they could be received on time and of course didn't snap a pic. Anyway, here are several of them and the step outs. Enjoy, and I hope you are feeling the LOVE of all those you care about tomorrow (and always) including from me. Happy Valentine's Day!!!

So I pinned a site that had these free clown images (Pierrot and Pierette as they are called on Wings of Whimsy), and then that lead me to another site (Graphics Fairy), and so I downloaded the images, printed them, and cut them out, Voila! Then came inking them and planning out my assembly line.

I inked Tim's Distress Heavystock panels with Antique Linen and Pumice Stone Distress Ink from Ranger, and flicked drops of water as well as Gathered Twigs Distress Ink from a Water Brush. Then I adhered Ranger's Adhesive Sheets to the backs for easy assembly.

I die cut Tim's heart from the Tiny Shapes Movers and Shapers and the 'k' and 'q' from 3/4 inch Alphanumeric Thinlets from Sizzix on the Heavystock panels to give the look of playing cards. Yes, I have a thing for making playing cards (I scour fleas looking for new collections.), especially on Valentine's Day cards if you can remember my cards from years past. I also cut either burgandy or red cardstock to fit the center of kraft cards with a pre-printed striped border that I purchased from a craft store.

I added Wendy's new Washi Tape around the borders of the panels. Then I used a Marvy DecoColor Premium Gold Leafing Pen (My new fav!) to outline the card base and the insides of the cut out letters and hearts.

I couldn't wait to get Tim's new Sizzix Faceted Heart Thinlets and use them on these cards. I experimented with various papers, vellums, and acetates, using both sizes of hearts, to find the perfect make and fit for these cards. I finally decided on the smaller heart and using a very thin acetate (the backing from Tim's Mask Sheets of all things) to make my shaker hearts work. To make them, I pounced on Latte, Pebble, and Lake Mist Alcohol Inks onto the acetate first, and then die cut them. I tried about 6 different adhesives to secure them, and figured out that Ranger's 1/4 inch Wonder Tape was THE ONLY ONE that worked (It was strong enough to hold everything together once the heart was filled.). I filled the hearts with a mixture of sequins, beads, and chunky glitter. I cut out the little heart from a larger red foil heart doily (I often cut pieces out from foiled doilies as it looks so much like much more expensive Dresden Foil.), and adhered the Faceted Hearts to them.

I also used some of the other hearts I made on a few of the cards since I liked them, but originally and in my head, I planned on using the smaller of these, still made from acetate but covered with Rock Candy Distress Glitter. Alas, I decided I wanted to see the guts inside better, so I went with the non-glittered style. However, I will keep these and use them elsewhere as I love the vintage look of them.

I added the love day clowny kids to the cards along with metallic gold die cut hearts, and then added the Faceted Hearts. You can see a few of the other hearts I made in this picture. Then of course I had to add Stickles...it's just not a proper Valentine without Stickles!

  

If you've followed me awhile, you know the hubs is a Valentine baby, so this is his birthday/Valentine card. ;0)

 

 

 

 

And there you go! Thanks for stopping by, and for all the comments and likes on my last post about the Chocolate Box. I so appreciate all of you. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Tim Holtz Valentine Vignette Challenge Chocolate Box

Hello All!  I was thrilled to have been asked to participate in the Valentine Challenge over at The Crafty Scrapper. Thank you so much for having me again. The challenge was to use five pieces of Tim Holtz Idea-ology, Vignette Box, Frame, Panel, Baseboard, and Paper Dolls for a Valentine project. So I used that and a whole lot more to make this Valentine Vignette Chocolate Box.  I had a few mishaps along the way, but overall I was very happy with how it came out. 

These are the five products I decided to use to build my box.

I started off by lightly painting a coat of Antique Linen Distress Paint to the box, frame, and panel.

I was out of Matte Collage Medium, so I used Multi Matte Medium to adhere the Collage Paper to the box and panel. I painted the sides of the frame and panel with Black Tie Paint.

I colored in the images on the paper with Pitt Pens, and added Glossy Accents to the berries and centers of flowers. Then I coated the box and panel with a thick layer of Crazing Collage Medium. When that dried, I smudged Antique Linen and Hickory Smoke Distress Crayon to portions of the paper. I also misted Gathered Twigs Spray Stain to some parts.

I misted over the large frame with Festive Berries, Hickory Smoke, Gathered Twigs, and Antique Linen Spray Stain and let those sit for a minute before sponging some up. I attached a Clock Key to the center upper portion of the frame. I poured out a tiny bit of Resist Spray onto a craft sheet and painted over the black framed area of the Baseboard Frame so it wouldn't get any color on it. Then I applied more crazing to the rest of the frame. Once dried, I added Hickory Smoke Spray Stain into the tiny cracks to distress it, and I adhered it to the panel. I added silver foil to the large frame here and there with a bit of tacky dried Multi Medium.

I inked the edges of the Quote Chip and Paper Dolls with Gathered Twigs, and colored over the rest of the Quote Chip with Festive Berries using an ink blending tool. I colored in parts of the Paper Dolls with Distress Markers, and added Glossy Accents over their eyes, bow tie, and dog collar. I also used it to add on the Transparent Wings. I am in love with those! I colored over the hearts and roses with Crimson Alcohol Ink.

I used a Craft Pick to poke holes into the bottom of the frame for the Hinges, and used tiny screws to secure them. I adhered heavy acetate to the back of the frame. I colored the 14 with Pearl Mixative, and then layered on all my bits with Multi Medium and clear foam tape.

This part required too much thinking, but I needed a way to secure the lid so that when the chocolate was in the box it wouldn't pour out, and then there was the weight of the hinged door to think about. I drilled into a wooden cube the size of a magnet I had in my stash. The magnet would hold on to the screw from the Clock Key to keep the door closed. It worked wonderfully. Since the box is upright, I didn't want it fall over either. I needed a wide base, so I used the largest of the Vignette Bases, drilled a hole in the middle of it, and into the box where it would go. I knew I needed screws to affix it. I wanted a little more height, so I added a few washers and a timepiece to it. I secured a long screw into the box and threw all the pieces and tightened it with a hitch fastener. Then I filled it with another very heavy washer and poured Glossy Accents into it to hold it all together, and it gave the base a fantastic weight to keep the box steadied and upright.  I really should have used Ice Resin instead of the Glossy Accents but I was too lazy to mix it up...lol! I let this dry over night, and in the morning everything worked like I wanted. Phew!

I used the smaller Vignette Base for the top of the box, and adhered it the same way, drilling through it and this time adding a Compass Coin. I have a bunch of crystal knobs from my husband's Grandmother's house that I nabbed before it was sold, and colored it with Crimson Alcohol Ink. Since the screw was secured with a Hitch Fastener, the knob fit perfectly over it and gave more security when I adhered it with Glossy Accents. There was a little problem though as I guess some of the Alcohol Ink inside the knob hole was either not dried or flashed off, but there was a little ring of Crimson around the knob in the Glossy Accents. I panicked but let it dry, and in the end I sort of liked the colored ring...see pics below. I found a metal flower brad that fit perfectly into the knob hole at the top. I know that's a lot of work, but I want my box to last the ages.

I tried to make the red velvet inside the box have pleats that would adhere to the door so the chocolate wouldn't come tumbling out, but after several failed attempts...too many to list...I gave up and just lined the box and let it be. It's not the best design for sure, but it will work. I also added washi tape around the back of the door to cover up the the acetate edges. Then I attached the hinges to the box, and as luck would have it everything matched up and worked. I added a heart charm and velvet ribbon to the Clock Key to aid in pulling the door open.

  

 

 

 

You can see the red halo around the knob from the Alcohol Ink...ugh...but it does have artsy look. LOL!

 

I really wish I could have figured out the expanding pleats to keep the chocolate in the box and not allow the door to open so much, but then I wouldn't have this yummy photo!

 

Materials:

-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Vignette Boxes, Vignette Panels, Vignette Frames, Baseboards, Paper Dolls, Botanical Collage Paper, Vignette Bases, Vignette Hardware, Hitch Fastener, Timepieces, Compass Coins,  Clock Key, Hinges, Jump Rings, Transparent Wings, Quote Chips, Arrow Adornment, Numeric, Treasure Adornments, Heirloom Roses, Mirrored Hearts, Floral Adornments

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Paint: Antique Linen, Picket Fence, Aged Mahogany, Festive Berries

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium: Crazing

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Brush

-Tim Holtz Tonic: Sanding Grip, Kraft Pick

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Resist Spray

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain: Antique Linen, Hickory Smoke, Festive Berries, Gathered Twigs

-Ranger Paint Dabber: Black Tie

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayons: Antique Linen, Hickory Smoke

-Faber-Castell Pitt Pens

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Gathered Twigs, Festive Berries

-Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tool

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Markers: Antique Linen, Victorian Velvet, Festive Berries

-Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink: Crimson, Meadow

-Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Mixative: Pearl

-Ranger Vintage Foil Sheets: Silver

-Ranger Multi Matte Medium, Glossy Accents, Red Line Adhesive, Clear Foam Tape

-Carpe Diem Washi Tape: Kissing Booth

-Acetate, Red Velvet, Red Velvet Ribbon, Antique Crystal Knob, Metal Flower Brad, Washers, Wood Cube, Magnet, Screw Driver, Drill

Thanks so much for stopping by!!! I'll be back again soon with Valentine cards. Until then...

I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!